Breaking the status quo -
M Venkaiah Naidu, Hindu
Change is the key for progress. Fulfilling the dream of Resurgent India through a series of reformatory initiatives has been the leitmotif of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi ever since it was swept to power. From introducing a biometric attendance system for government employees, to selecting unsung heroes for the Padma awards, to ensuring transparency in the funding of political parties, the Prime Minister is seeking to transform the mindset of individuals... Read Full Article››

Rahul Gandhiâ€™s â€˜temple runâ€™ -
Narayani Ganesh, Times of India
Going on a vote yatra is a very good thing. A political candidate who hopes to win an election has to not only go through the motions of connecting to would-be voters, he needs to demonstrate empathy with what is close to their hearts. And what better way than seeking darshan at a temple or offering prayers at a mosque or church? These are places suffused with deep invocation and prayer, whose paths are lined with the faith, dreams, hopes and aspirations of the people, and especially of the desperate. Read Full Article››

India regains centre at Davos meet -
Balbir Punj, Pioneer
The arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Davos world business summit has coincidentally timed with the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) declaration that growth prospects for India in the fiscal year 2019 is 7.4 per cent against 6.7 per cent in this fiscal year (2017-18). Here by hangs a tale of resurrection of India’s image in the global fora, which was in shreds three years back because of corruption taint. But there is more to it than mere coincidence. The IMF has not been hesitant to be critical when necessitated by facts. Read Full Article››

India and Israel: A meeting of minds -
Anil Gupta, Pioneer
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return visit to India in response to Indian Premier Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel in July 2017 has cemented the relationship between the two countries to such an extent that it has sent shivers across the borders on both flanks. India and Israel, though geographically distant, are closest strategically. Both attained independence from the British almost at the same time and Israel’s creation at that time was viewed by many idealists in India as based on religion, like the partition of the sub-continent. Read Full Article››

The hesitations of history -
Ram Madhav, Indian Express
“Swagat hai mere dost! Why did it take so long? We have been waiting for you for 70 years,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Narendra Modi when the latter visited Israel in July last year. Netanyahu was right. It took 70 years after Independence for an Indian prime minister to set foot on Israel, and 25 years after India became the last major country to establish full diplomatic ties with that country in 1992. On their part, Israelis have always shown enormous interest in this relationship. Read Full Article››

A nation-builder, an inspiration -
M Venkaiah Naidu, Indian Express
“Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached”, this shloka from the Upanishads popularised by Swami Vivekananda should be an inspiration to every Indian. It is particularly relevant for the youth of today to build a New India through motivation, education and dedication. The time has never been more opportune than now for India to realise its true potential by unleashing the energies of the youth, who constitute about 65 per cent of the country’s population. Read Full Article››

Jai Ram Thakur becomes 14th CM of Himachal Pradesh -
Ashwani Sharma, Indian Express
With what appeared a sea of humanity at Shimla’s historic Ridge maidan, Jai Ram Thakur, 52, took oath of office as the 14th chief minister of Himachal Pradesh along with 11 ministers on Wednesday morning. Unlike his immediate predecessor Virbhadra Singh, or the chief minister before him, Prem Kumar Dhumal, Thakur did not wear the trademark Himachali cap at the ceremony. His team, a relatively younger set than the previous few... Read Full Article››

Vijay Rupani, 18 ministers take oath of office -
Indian Express
GUJARAT CHIEF Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday took oath of office and secrecy along with Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and 18 ministers at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah, Union ministers and chief ministers of NDA-governed states. Besides the deputy chief minister, the government now has eight Cabinet-rank ministers — four of them Patidars — and 10 state-rank ministers. Rupani has dropped three ministers from his previous Cabinet and introduced five first-time ministers. Read Full Article››

First & foremost, a humanist -
M Venkaiah Naidu, Indian Express
I am extremely delighted to be with all of you here today to recall and applaud the spirit of “journalism of courage” piloted by Ramnath Goenka, particularly when the nation passed through trying times. These awards, instituted in the name of such a doyen of freedom of speech and expression, have rightly emerged as the largest and the most coveted journalism awards in the country. This is because Ramnath Goenka embodied the finest qualities of journalism of courage and commitment: Fierce independence, relentless pursuit of facts... Read Full Article››

It's BJP all the way -
Nayan Dave, Pioneer
Lotus continued to bloom in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home turf of Gujarat. Riding on Modi’s remarkable ability to reach out to voters across caste and class divide, and BJP chief Amit Shah’s grassroots mobilisation, the BJP proved the skeptics wrong by retaining the State for the sixth time in a row. Though the BJP did fail to match its 2012 tally and the Congress gained solid ground in rural belt, in the end Modi and Shah duo proved that they can overcome any electoral odds. Read Full Article››

Naiduâ€™s building a new Andhra Pradesh -
Paran Balakrishnan, Business Line
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s a man in a tearing hurry. He’s determined to turn his truncated Andhra Pradesh into an industrial powerhouse and he’s pulling out all the stops to make it happen in double-quick time. This month the State got a new air cargo terminal at Visakhapatnam, which Naidu aims to transform into a buzzing hi-tech city. That came just a few days after Naidu had played host to Microsoft founder Bill Gates at the AP AgTech Summit, which focused on using drones... Read Full Article››